All stories by Nikita Puri
Will Mudbound get Netflix an Oscar nomination?
Rediff.com25 Dec 2017Even as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decide if a film backed by a streaming service qualifies for a 'regular' feature nomination, both critics and audiences hope Mudbound makes it to the Oscars, says Nikita Puri.
Camel milk, the new superfood
Rediff.com10 Dec 2017Camel milk is an excellent source of iron and protein when compared to cow milk. It also has high Vitamin B3 and good probiotics. With the variety of nutrients camel milk has, experts feel it should be labelled a superfood.
Will urban Indians ever be ready to cycle to work?
Rediff.com26 Nov 2017Public bicycle-sharing systems are entering this untapped market.
7 young men and their unusual start-up
Rediff.com20 Oct 2017The Bombay Hemp Company offers goods fashioned out of hemp, the lesser known cousin of ganja.
The fight against superstition gathers momentum
Rediff.com19 Oct 2017Though the list of superstitious beliefs is long, often dissolving distinctions of class, caste, religion and education, Karnataka's anti-superstition bill is seen as a big step ahead.
The spiritual guru who is pushing innovation
Rediff.com8 Oct 2017Mata Amritanandamayi's hospital has developed protein nanomedicines for drug-resistant leukemia and nano-structured wafers to prevent recurrence of brain tumours
These Indians chase stars and blackholes
Rediff.com4 Sep 2017The astrophotography community in India is a fast-growing one.
Saving the crocodiles
Rediff.com2 Sep 2017Saltwater crocodiles are the world's largest reptiles, and these had already disappeared from the coasts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh by the 1970s. In all of Bhitarkanika, there were only 96 of them left. The census this January noted their count at 1,682.
Future of travel: India's OrcaPod
Rediff.com28 Aug 2017The OrcaPod is a prototype of what comes after boats, cars, trains and planes. It's India's foray into what Tesla founder Elon Musk calls the 'fifth form of transportation' and India's only entry at the ongoing Hyperloop competition by Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Red velvet or blueberry khakhra, anyone?
Rediff.com10 Aug 2017India is definitely not a country for mild flavours. And a new generation of Indian entrepreneurs are cashing in on it by adding a delicious twist to our favourite traditional snacks.
Have you ever been to a human library?
Rediff.com2 Aug 2017The Human Library project brings together people from all walks of life to interact with 'talking books'.
DIG Roopa: The tough cop taking on VIP culture
Rediff.com1 Aug 2017From leading the team that arrested Uma Bharti to exposing V K Sasikala's privileges in prison, the 42-year-old IPS officer is not scared of anything.
The dangers of imposing Hindi on India
Rediff.com26 Jul 2017'Some people make the majoritarian argument that a lot of Indians speak Hindi.' 'But where exactly? Is that not relevant?'
Is Karnataka India's most corrupt state?
Rediff.com18 Jul 2017'When a newspaper says that Karnataka leads in corruption, one must also know it means Karnataka leads in patronising corruption.' 'You can't be corrupt without me succumbing to your corruption.'
Rifath Shaarook, the boy who built the world's lightest satellite
Rediff.com12 Jul 2017The lead scientist on the project, which was launched by NASA, is also the youngest at 18. Meet the boy from Tamil Nadu who is already working on his next mission.
Bharat floorings: The floor beneath India's feet for 95 years!
Rediff.com4 Jul 2017Nikita Puri finds out what makes the company, which has tiled palaces, homes, restaurants and even railway stations, relevant for millenials, too.
Why a planet was named after Sahithi Pingali
Rediff.com30 Jun 2017Nikita Puri introduces the Indian teenager who has joined the league of innovators with celestial bodies named after them.
'Is India so weak and fragile?'
Rediff.com25 Jun 2017'...that it cannot accommodate dissent and objection.' 'Are its foundations so delicate that it feels endangered even in instances outside of armed rebellions?' 'The question that needs to be asked of the political supporters of such laws is not why they are confident of the importance of the law on sedition.' 'It is instead why they are lacking in such confidence about India.'
How an auto driver impressed Anand Mahindra
Rediff.com6 Jun 2017Sunil Kumar PS had modified the back of his three-wheeler to look like a Scorpio, the popular Mahindra & Mahindra SUV. Anand Mahindra applauded this innovation by gifting him a Supro mini-van.
The dancing legends wowing India
Rediff.com30 May 2017Bharata Natyam legends Shanta and V P Dhananjayan discover they are a national sentation after their Vodafone ads.